How to Make Your New House a Home Before Christmas

I cannot believe that Christmas is next week! I know we say it every year but the year really flew by, didn’t it? It feels like every year passes even more quickly than the last. I am heading up to New York to be with my family over the holiday next week and I am thankful for that. But I also know that many of you are in the midst of a big move and may be celebrating in a less familiar home this year. I am a BIG fan of the holiday season and tend to go all out in terms of Christmas cheer so today I want to share with you how to make your new house a home before Christmas arrives next Friday.

Depending on which phase of the move you are in, there are tons of different ways to create a homey and comfortable feel for the holiday this year. I’ve listed my favorite three below.

1. Create an experience: Whether you will be traveling next Friday, unpacking boxes, or waiting for your household goods to arrive, you can always create an experience for yourself and your family. Check out the local shops in your new town for fun new decorations or goodies and set up Christmas (even if you are sans furniture!). Reminisce about your favorite parts of holidays past and recreate some of those things in your new home.

It’s fun to kind of “rough it” sometimes too. On our first night in our first apartment, Matt and I didn’t have our kitchen unpacked. We found a one-pan recipe for a layered lasagna pie, swapped out the square pan for a round pot (the only thing we had available) and winged it. It was a mess but it was hysterical and I’ll never forget it.

2. Don’t skip out on traditions: Just because you may not be able to follow through every detail of a tradition, doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate them. Traditions are about cherished moments and memories. For example, when I was little, on Christmas morning my parents always made me sit with them on the steps leading into our living room and drink a small glass of my mom’s kid friendly eggnog while telling them what I was most grateful for that year before I was allowed to go downstairs and open presents. It was a small gesture meant to help me realize what the holidays are REALLY about. Now I live on the opposite end of the east coast in a single story apartment and yet, I still make my mom’s eggnog recipe every Christmas Eve and have a glass with Matt on Christmas morning discussing what we are most grateful for before we exchange gifts with each other (and our dogs of course). No sitting on the steps or rushing down to see what Santa brought. But the idea is the same.

3. Throw a party: When all else fails, throw a party. When you think about it, a just moved into home without a ton of furniture, leaves lots of space to host a party! Plus, this is a really great way to get to know your neighbors. People will understand your situation and will be happy to join a potluck style celebration. A couple of new friends of mine threw a party in their new home last weekend. The house was not yet completely set up but nobody noticed or cared one bit. They invited their neighbors and the few people they knew in the area to participate in an inexpensive Secret Santa and asked everybody to bring an appetizer. We had tons of great food, music, and guests got to know new people. It was a really great night!

I know that moving during the holidays can seem like a drag, but it’s important to enjoy this time of year and reflect on what really matters. The key to turning a house into a home is creating memories and so no matter what you do to celebrate next week, enjoy yourself and enjoy your new home!